People were shouting names, crying, searching for their families: Survivors recall Red Fort blast

new delhi: “People were shouting names, crying, searching for their families. For a few minutes, no one knew who was alive,” recalled a survivor of the powerful explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed 12 people and left several others injured on Monday evening.

The high-intensity blast ripped through a slow-moving car near the Red Fort Metro station during peak hours, gutting several vehicles and throwing the crowded area into chaos. The explosion left behind scenes of devastation — mangled remains, shattered glass and smoke engulfing one of Delhi’s busiest and most historic neighbourhoods. Body parts were found scattered across the area, with some fragments even reaching the nearby Jain Mandir, leaving locals traumatised.

Ram Pratap, a roadside eatery owner from Bihar, was among the survivors. Lying on a hospital bed with his right arm tightly bandaged, he struggled to hold back tears as he recalled the moment. “People were lying on the road, some bleeding, some not moving at all. There was blood everywhere. We saw death from up close,” he said.

Pratap had been preparing to close his small eatery for the day when the explosion ripped through the area. “A few customers were waiting when suddenly there was a loud blast. Glass shards fell on us and thick smoke engulfed everything. I could not hear anything for a few seconds,” he said.

Outside the emergency ward, his relative remembered standing just a few metres away. “There was a flash, then fire, then thick black smoke. I froze. I could not find my brother,” he said.

Vijender Yadav, who runs a water tanker business in Delhi, was standing near his vehicle when the blast occurred. “When I got up, my clothes were soaked in blood. I saw bodies on the road, pieces of glass and flesh scattered everywhere. That sound is still ringing in my ears,” said Yadav, his arm now in a sling.

Nearby, Chandni Chowk shopkeeper Karamjot described panic and confusion. “I saw people running towards me from the Red Fort side. Everyone was screaming. I ran towards the gurdwara and took shelter until things calmed down,” she said.

Locals rushed to help the injured before emergency teams arrived. “When I reached the spot, I saw dismembered bodies everywhere,” said JP Mishra, an employee at the Jain Mandir sports club.

Residents said the blast shook nearby buildings. “It felt like an earthquake,” said Karmayta Devi. “My 15-year-old son was terrified. We couldn’t sleep all night.”

Authorities have sealed the area, and security remains tight as investigators continue to probe the cause of the deadly explosion.